Renowned Malayalam poet Yusuf Ali Kechery passes away

Renowned Malayalam poet Yusuf Ali Kechery passed away on 21 March 2015 in Kochi, Kerala. He was 81 and had been suffering from bronchial pneumonia.

Kechery was one of the leading poets of the modern era Malayalam poetry and was known for his mystic lyrics on Hindu gods.

About Yusuf Ali Kechery

He was born on 16 May 1934 in Kechery, Thrissur district of Kerala. Kechery had studied Sanskrit under well-known scholar K P Narayana Pisharody.

Kechery along with ONV Kurup and P Bhaskaran had dominated Malayalam films as a top-notch lyricist. His debut as lyricist was in 1971 with Malayalam film Sindooracheppu.

In his career he had penned hundreds of songs known for their mystic and romantic charm with a semi-classical touch.

Apart from being poet and lyricist, he was also film producer and director. His directorial debut was Maram (Tree) in 1973 and his first film as a producer was Sindooracheppu (1971).

Kechery also had served as assistant secretary of Kerala Sangaeetha Natak Academy and also served as the president of Kerala Sahitya Academy.

Awards- He was awarded a National Film Award for Best Lyricist for a Sanskrit song written for the Malayalam film Mazha (Rain) in 2000, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award(1985),Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyrics in year 1993, 1994 and 1998.